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Charley Neal #242 (Baseball Cards 1957 Topps) — is it worth grading?

Is Charley Neal #242 worth grading?

Baseball · Baseball Cards 1957 Topps · full price guide →

Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw

A PSA 10 Charley Neal #242 sells for $829 against $3.87 raw: a $825 spread, 214× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($262) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.

Raw (NM)
$3.87
PSA 10
$829
PSA 9
$262
Gem premium
214×
As of
Jul 11, 2026

Break-even by outcome and fee

Charley Neal #242: net result of grading versus selling raw, by outcome and fee tier
If it comes back…Sells forEconomy / bulk (~$25.00)Standard (~$50.00)Express (~$150)
Gem — PSA 10$829+$800+$775+$675
PSA 9$262+$233+$208+$108
PSA 8$60.50+$31.63+$6.63−$93.37

Net = sale price − $3.87 raw value − fee. Fee tiers are illustrative; plug your grader's current price into the calculator below.

Expected value — how often does it need to gem?

Charley Neal #242: expected value of submitting by gem probability
Chance it gemsExpected saleExpected net (standard fee)
25%$404+$350
50%$545+$491
75%$687+$633

Even a miss (a 9) beats selling raw after the standard fee — the gem rate only decides how much you win by.

Which grader pays the most — and what a 10 takes

All centering standards
Charley Neal #242: top-grade value by grading company with centering tolerance
Grader10 sells forvs bestFront centering for a 10Back
BGS 10$1,077best55/4570/30
PSA 10$829−$24855/4575/25
CGC 10$497−$58055/4575/25
SGC 10$497−$58055/4575/25

Tolerances are each company's published centering standard for its top grade; surface, corners and edges must also be clean. Centering is the one you can measure yourself before you pay.

Charley Neal #242 graded prices by company and grade
GradePSACGCBGSSGCGraded
10$829$497$1,077$497
9.5$288
9$262
8$60.50
7$40.00

Run your own numbers

Should I pay this?

Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.

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Grading Charley Neal #242 — FAQ

Is Charley Neal #242 worth grading?

A PSA 10 Charley Neal #242 sells for $829 against $3.87 raw: a $825 spread, 214× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($262) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.

How much is a PSA 10 Charley Neal #242 worth compared with raw?

A PSA 10 Charley Neal #242 (Baseball Cards 1957 Topps) sells for about $829 versus $3.87 for a raw near-mint copy — a 214× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.

Which grading company is best for Charley Neal #242?

By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $1,077, ahead of PSA 10 at $829. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.

What centering does Charley Neal #242 need for a BGS 10?

BGS publishes 55/45 front and 70/30 back centering as the tolerance for a 10 (Gem Mint). Off-center copies are capped below the top grade regardless of surface — measure yours before paying the fee.

Is your baseball card centered well enough to grade?

Centering makes or breaks a PSA 10. Scan any card with Midpoint to measure its exact centering, get a grade estimate, and see what your copy is actually worth.

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